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  1. Scouts with Disabilities

    Where parents and scouters go to discuss unique aspects to working with kids with special challenges.

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  2. Going to the next Jamboree?

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9701 topics in this forum

  1. A Non-Uniform Question

    By Eamonn,
    • 12 replies
    • 1.4k views

  2. The finical cost of Scouting 1 2

    By bt01,
    • 15 replies
    • 1.9k views

  3. Jeff Kinney; Diary of a Whimpy Kid

    By skeptic,
    • 1 reply
    • 765 views

  4. The Rest Step

    By SeattlePioneer,
    • 6 replies
    • 1.1k views

  5. American Spirit Award Won By Boy Scout

    By skeptic,
    • 1 reply
    • 856 views

  6. Goodbuy Mr. S.

    By frank10,
    • 6 replies
    • 1.3k views

  7. Introduction and offer

    By USFireworks,
    • 6 replies
    • 883 views

  8. If You Were the New Scoutmaster What Would You ask? 1 2

    By SeattlePioneer,
    • 16 replies
    • 2.2k views

  9. important update to the med forms

    By moosetracker,
    • 4 replies
    • 920 views

  10. Boy Scouts Centennial Forest

    By AlFansome,
    • 0 replies
    • 1.2k views

  11. Our current Negitive news-worthy scout 1 2

    By moosetracker,
    • 19 replies
    • 2.2k views

  12. Should I tell the new Scoutmaster? 1 2 3

    By SMT224,
    • 34 replies
    • 4.6k views

  13. New Troop charter rules 1 2

    By carconcad,
    • 19 replies
    • 2.2k views

  14. Spring Camporee Theme- "Gladiator Challenge"

    By mikecummings157,
    • 14 replies
    • 2.4k views

  15. Guide to Safe Scouting- Not Official? 1 2 3

    By OldGreyEagle,
    • 35 replies
    • 5.5k views

  • LATEST POSTS

    • qwazse
      Is the real patrol method dead?

      By qwazse · Posted

      You were probably quite good at it, but it wasn’t your job. That’s the job of a UC or DE. And National has not adopted a vision of the pinnacle scouting experience: hiking and camping independently with your mates.
    • skeptic
      Philmont damaged by severe hail storm; Villa incurred major hits.

      By skeptic · Posted

      See this link for detail.  https://donations.scouting.org/#/council/NCFD/appeal/8757
    • RememberSchiff
      Camp Bomazeen (ME) to be sold

      By RememberSchiff · Posted

      Update 08/17/2025: Pine Tree Council says they are no longer actively looking to sell Camp Bomazeen. Instead, they’ve resumed using it for some scouting activities and are currently contemplating the best use of the lakefront property moving forward. More details particularly the Maine Supreme Judicial Court requirements for sale in keeping with donor's 1944 deed at source: https://www.centralmaine.com/2025/08/17/belgrade-boy-scout-camp-no-longer-actively-for-sale-but-future-remains-in-limbo/
    • MattR
      Is the real patrol method dead?

      By MattR · Posted

      @Armymutt, I certainly tried to get patrols to do their own thing. We had 60 some scouts (6 to 8 patrols) and I pushed for meetings on their own, service projects on their own and activities on campouts by patrol. If there was a hike then the patrols could hike on their own, if they could prove to me they were prepared. I refused to mix and match patrols unless there were less than 4 scouts in a patrol and that's what they wanted (they usually didn't). The scouts understood the point of all of this. The adults were the problem. They constantly said it was more efficient to have everyone do the same thing. The only thing they didn't fight was to let the patrols do on their own was cooking. Within a year after I stepped down cooking was the only thing they did on their own. They started mixing patrols for each campout. By now there is only one patrol on a campout anyway and on some campouts the adults and scouts cook together. If I were a better leader I could have convinced the adults that efficiency doesn't teach leadership. Rather, dealing with problems teaches leadership. But I was never very good at teaching the adults. I tried.   
    • DuctTape
      Is the real patrol method dead?

      By DuctTape · Posted

      Yes, focus should be on patrol activities. As far as adults, transportation etc... the numbers still work. 2 cars to transport a patrol is 2 adults.  I firmly believe the slow methodical demise of the patrol method is the demise of scouting to truly achieve its aims. It is within the patrol, as a functional member where the lessons which develop the scouts character are born, bred and raised. 
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